Save Me From The Darkness
by Love-slave
Summary: Not too long ago, Naruto saved two people from the darkness of themselves. Now it is their turn to return the favour, if only they can figure out how. AU. NejiNaruGaa neji naruto gaara


**This takes place after Sasuke left, but is in a time floating prettily in space...aka, it's AU. ****Be warned of the super fluff. Also it's a little OOC, but all so that there can be more fun! ;)**

**I hope you enjoy, and please R&R!**

**SAVE ME FROM THE DARKNESS**

NEJI

Hyuga Neji was the type to keep his eyes open. He watched the people of Konoha with an undisguised ease. He saw when the spark of interest flew into the disinterested gaze of Naara Shikamaru. He saw when Kiba watched his cousin Hinata with a sudden gentleness that he didn't often display. He saw the look of worry on the Hokage Tsunade's face. He saw Uzumaki Naruto after a day of boisterous grinning and training shut his windows and lock his doors the smile vanishing like vapour from his face.

Neji wondered vaguely whether he was the only one to notice, but of course the answer was no. Shikamaru had taken to keeping a subtle eye on the blond whenever opportunity arose. Hinata of course noticed. She always watched the boy with flushed cheeks and down cast eyes, but lately she was watching him differently.

Hokage Tsunade herself had a frustrated worry clouding her aura. She watched Naruto much like a mother watched an ill son…. In fact everyone watched the blond, the problem was no one did anything about it.

After watching Naruto so closely Neji could instantly tell when someone's thoughts strayed to him. He could tell because at some point everyone had a thought or two drift to Naruto, and not for the slim frame and sculpted muscles. Or at least they thought to the last of the Uchiha clan, which meant inevitably Naruto was in their thoughts with him.

Everyone had noticed the tenseness surrounding him, and the smile attempting to hide it. Neji especially. There were more people in Konoha who cared than Naruto realized… the Uchiha didn't deserve the anger or sadness that Naruto was wasting on him. He knew it… if only Naruto would notice it too.

"You done sleeping yet?" Neji looked up into the sharp eyes of Ten Ten. "We're supposed to be training," she said winking.

Neji pushed gently to his feet, dusting himself off and glanced at his partner.

"I have to go," he said.

"What?"

"Lee's coming, right? Practice with him."

"Yeah, but--."

Neji looked at her and smiled softly.

"Fine," she said sighing. "But you're buying me a bento tomorrow."

He left her sitting exasperatedly on the edge of the bridge, and instantly his mind was filled with thoughts of Naruto's tilting lips.

GAARA

Gaara had come to Konoha to gather information on Orochimaru's future plans. At least that had been the excuse.

Technically he shouldn't have needed and excuse. He should have been able to say quite simply 'I want to go see Naruto', but it was easier this way. He could pretend he was here on business and stay as long as he needed and watch Naruto of course, like he had been all day.

Gaara was relieved at first to see the usual bright smile that lit Naruto's face, but quickly he realized that the smile wasn't the same.

The brightness wasn't the same. He looked happy when the smile touched his lips, but before when Naruto smiled he used to glow.

In an instant Naruto was sweet, eager, and loving all at once. Naruto's smile was a masterpiece. The masterpiece that had reached deep into Gaara and touched his heart for the first time with warmth.

Uchiha Sasuke had ruined that smile.

But Gaara would be damned if he would let that bastard ruin it forever. He needed every now and then to see those eyes that had peeled away all of his walls and seen him so clearly.

He had to save Naruto from the darkness the way that Naruto had saved him.

NEJI

He trekked the familiar path to Naruto's house just in time to see the lights flicker out in his house. Would he be sleeping now, so early? Or would he stay up staring into the darkness around him? Would he watch the sun set from his bedroom window?

Neji shut his eyes. This was too much for him. He had to speak to the blond now.

Neji determinedly walked to Naruto's front door, resisting the urge to use his family trait. This wasn't a battle, he reminded himself. Although it would probably be as difficult. He didn't often knock on the blond ninja's door just to talk.

He should have planned this out. He cursed the obviousness of his trembling hands as he lifted to knock the door.

He would make Naruto forget Sasuke somehow.

He jumped as his knuckles hit a hard wall of sand. He swung around, kunai instantly in hand, facing the fiery haired Gaara of Sunakagure.

"What are you doing here?" Neji demanded.

The boy stared at him through his dark rimmed eyes, as cool as ever.

"I'm here to see Naruto," he finally said.

Neji stared for a moment.

"I was here first." Silently he cursed his own childish words.

Gaara's sand swirled back into his gourd and he tilted his head as though reading the other boy… which was supposed to be Neji's talent, damn it!

Finally he looked away.

"Is it urgent?" Gaara asked simply.

Neji stuttered.

"Well--." It had been a long time he'd been having these thoughts, but today he felt the pressure weighing down on him. He had to do it today. "I have--."

"I came all the way from Sunakagure to see him," Gaara interrupted. "That means you can wait until tomorrow."

Neji frowned. A clutching feeling in his chest was telling him that Gaara was there for a reason he wouldn't approve of. He couldn't let him go in. Not alone.

Lifting his Kunai once more, Neji blocked the doorway.

"You wont pass until I know why you're here," he said firmly.

Gaara's eyes narrowed and his sand began to sieve from the gourd on his back.

"Don't get in my way," he said crossing his arms. "I came here to see Naruto, and you're not going to stop me."

It was amazing how dangerous the otherwise delicate looking boy could be. Neji stood firm however.

"I'm sorry," he said through clenched teeth. "I wont let you hurt him, and I'm not moving from this doorstep."

"Hurt him?" Gaara practically spat the words. Neji felt the slithery sand snake its way around his ankles and begin to slide up his legs. It would take more than sand to stop him. "He's already hurt. If you don't let me through you'll make it worse."

"No!" Neji couldn't stand it. "I know he's hurt that's why I need to help him. I owe him my life!"

"No." Gaara suddenly broke his cool exterior looking deeply desperate. "I owe him 'my' life! He saved me from myself!"

Neji fell suddenly silent. What was he supposed to say to that?

"Me too."

Gaara stared. His sand slid silently to the ground and Neji's knife to his side.

A long awkward silence ensued and Gaara walked to his side. Without a word both boys turned to face the door and banged on it loudly and insistently.

"Naruto! Open the door!"

There was a moments silence and then the sound of thunderous footsteps and the door flew open revealing a wide eyed gasping Naruto, his hair tousled, and T-shirt hanging off of one arm.

"What is it?" he gasped. "Neji? Gaara! Oh no, what happened!"

He yanked the shirt forcefully back over his head obliterating their combined staring and hopped out the door tugging on his shoes.

"Are we under attack again!"

Neji and Gaara stared at Naruto, then looked at each other.

Gaara shrugged.

"We just came to visit."

Naruto stopped mid-hop, hobbling in the spot a shoe in one hand, staring.

"Why didn't you say so?" He practically skipped back into the house, seeming to Neji, honestly happy. "I can cook you some ramen."

They entered the small kitchen behind the loudly humming blond and Neji sat down, Gaara choosing to stand leaning against the wall.

Naruto pulled open the cupboard and began sorting through his collection of instant packages.

"What kind do you want?" he asked.

"Vegetable," said Gaara.

Neji shrugged.

"Any."

Five minutes later they sat around the small table with bowls of 'home made' ramen with Naruto happily slurping his up.

Neji took a sip of his soup, wondering why he'd been so desperate to come here. Naruto was one to always wear a mask. After getting to know him more, Neji realized that even in childhood Naruto had worn his mask firmly in place, making the whole of Konoha believe that not a care in the world touched his shoulders.

But this was no mask. Naruto was truly happy in this moment, just being with two friends.

The thought suddenly warmed him, and he sipped on more soup to hide his smile.

"S'wha are oo i' Koroha? He asked through his mouthful.

Gaara remained silent until he had the full attention of the blond sitting in front of him.

"I'm here to collect information about Orochimaru, and what better place to get it than from the home of his next seal? The Uchiha was your partner, you should know all about it."

Neji clenched his fists under the table. Naruto had gone slightly pale.

"So… that's why you're here?" Naruto asked. His voice had become quiet; none of the previous mirth evident. "For Sasuke?"

He tilted his head in Neji's direction but kept his brilliant blue eyes fixed on the table.

"Is that why you're here too?"

Neji shook his head, but Naruto had already stood up.

He attempted a smile and looked back down at the rough wood of the table top.

"Of course… I'll answer whatever you need, I just need to go to the washroom first."

He turned and left the room, his head bowed and Neji instantly turned on the red head.

"Why did you do that?" he demanded. "Naruto was happy for once, wasn't he?"

Gaara looked to the door Naruto had vanished through. "There's a difference between making someone happy, and 'keeping' them happy." He looked at Neji. "As soon as we left, wouldn't he be the same again.

Neji shut his eyes, trying to ignore the hot blush touching his cheeks. Of course his presence alone wouldn't be enough.

NARUTO

Deep breaths. Deep breaths.

Naruto shook his head furiously. It wasn't a big deal, all Gaara wanted was to ask about Sasuke. He couldn't deny the disappointment that Gaara had in fact not come to Konoha for him, but after all these years he was use to coming second to the Uchiha.

He shook his head again and splashed cold water onto his face. Maybe with Neji here too, he could make this fast.

He paused.

He hadn't known that Gaara and Neji were friends… why had they come here together?

Well, they were both so quiet that there was a lot Naruto probably wouldn't guess about them.

He found the two of them sitting in the living room, Neji on the couch, Gaara leaning back against the small coffee.

Naruto grinned awkwardly at the two.

They frowned.

What was happening?

He plopped down in the free seat next to Neji and in front of Gaara.

"So," he started. "What do you want to know?" he asked. They stared at him, and he could feel the tenseness practically melting the smile from his face. "Heh, heh…heh."

With a surprising ease Neji was suddenly holding his hand. Naruto jumped and looked at the white eyed boy who was gracing him with a very soft, comforting smile.

"Naruto," Gaara started. Naruto turned his attention to the red head sitting before him, but couldn't seem to pull his hand away from Neji. "When you fought the Uchiha, was he angry that you were trying to stop him?"

Way to jump right into it. 'was he angry?' well no, not quite… that's not what Naruto would have called it.

"He was--uh--no, he was…" _using me to test his own strength.  
_

"Did you speak at all?" Neji asked quietly.

Naruto looked at him. He couldn't pretend he didn't care, he just couldn't. he nodded silently and looked away.

"What did he say?"

"…he called me dobe…insulted me…."

Naruto looked up at the soft laugh.

"Sounds like he was himself," Neji said.

Naruto was suddenly on his feet.

"No, he wasn't. He wasn't himself! He acted the same, but his eyes were different, he didn't care about anything that he use to." They were both watching him silently. "It was like I--I was the last string he had to cut." He fell silent instantly regretting every word he'd said. His heart was pounding.

He didn't want them to know how much he cared… now it was probably obvious.

As more memories flooded his mind it became harder to keep speaking. They each listened attentively although he had stopped talking and finally he couldn't hold back the most important and most painful memory.

"He said I was his best friend…" he heard a soft intake of breath from Neji, who also understood. Sasuke would never have said that unless… "and he tried to kill me."

Unless he wasn't coming back.

Unless he would never see Naruto again.

Unless they were over… their time together as team seven… their rivalry… their friendship.

Everything. It was over.

Suddenly Gaara was against him, holding him in a way he didn't even know the boy was capable of, and a moment later Neji was around him too, holding him and stroking his hair and Naruto suddenly realized that this must have been planned. Somehow they'd known that in minutes they could be holding him crying, and god, was he crying? He tried frantically to rub the tears from his eyes, but more kept coming. There were something's that it was okay to cry over, Sasuke wasn't one. He couldn't cry over a mission, or losing a fight, or even losing a friend.

Right. He was crying only because Neji and Gaara were holding him. Not because of Sasuke.

"You don't need him."

"Naruto, you have better friends right here."

He looked up at Neji's last words through his blurry vision, but couldn't look away.

Neji stroked the tears from his cheek.

"I don't think I ever really thanked you," he said. "You saved me for no reason, just because you're you. If he can't appreciate what you did for him, then he's a fool."

Naruto didn't know what it was, whether he wanted to thank him somehow, or he just wanted to kiss him, but within seconds, their lips were pressed together.

He'd never kissed like this before, tenderly and with tongue. His heart sped up like it did in a battle and he was hot too, like he'd been training.

Gaara stiffened and tried to pull back, but Naruto tightened his arm and pulled him closer. He didn't want him to leave. It was nice with both of them against him, and a mouth against his. He was rarely shown much affection and when he was he had the habit of clinging like he was now. Clinging into Gaara's shoulder and into Neji's long black hair.

Finally they broke apart breathing heavily and looking into each others eyes, which were so different; deep blue and milky grey, almost white. They were the type of eyes you could watch for hours, Naruto realized.

Slowly he become conscious of Gaara still sitting stiffly half on his lap where he had been pulled.

The red head was looking away awkwardly. Naruto hadn't realized that Gaara had the ability to blush, much less turn as red as his hair.

Naruto smiled lightly and kissed his cheek.

Gaara faced him suddenly, looking surprisingly delicate with his pink cheeks.

"Let go," he said.

Naruto frowned.

"I don't want to."

In a sudden fit of anger he shoved Naruto roughly into the couch and stood up.

"You expect me to sit on your lap and wait for you to finish with '_him' _!"

Naruto looked at Neji, then back at Gaara, suddenly turning red as well.

"I--Gaara wait!"

He grabbed the boy by the arm as he turned to leave and yanked him down onto the couch. Within seconds Naruto was on top of him and pressing a kiss onto his mouth, only vaguely registering the fact that Gaara was jealous.

He was still for a moment and then slowly gave in to the kiss, his lips softening and opening eagerly.

He wrapped his arms around Naruto's neck as their kiss deepened. It was surprisingly slower and silkier than kissing Neji and he couldn't tell which one was better, they were so different.

"Hey!"

There was a scrambling on the couch behind him and Naruto pulled back breaking their contact. He looked at Neji who was flushed and looking outraged.

He pointed an accusing finger at Gaara.

"He tried to shove me off the couch!" he shouted.

Gaara sat up angrily.

"You were too close," he said.

Neji stood up.

"What? I didn't do anything to you while '_we' _were kissing and you were on his lap!" he said pointing at Naruto.

"I didn't interrupt 'your' kiss did I?"

"Yours was longer!"

"That's because it was better."

Neji visibly swelled with anger making Naruto seriously consider running from the room when suddenly he was attacked.

Neji seized him by the back of the neck and was on him in seconds ravishing his mouth more thoroughly than he'd imagined possible.

He pulled back abruptly, leaving Naruto dazed and gasping.

"How was that?" Neji asked.

"Wh--what?" Naruto gasped.

Gaara suddenly shoved Neji from Naruto's lap and yanked his shirt up.

"I can do better," he said.

This was dangerous.

No sooner had his tongue touched one of Naruto's hard nipples then Neji was fighting for room.

He moaned softly as a hand found its way to the front of his pants and began to rub him harshly.

Gaara bit down lightly and Neji squeezed, and he almost screamed.

But this--this was--.

"Wait," he gasped. "Stop."

They both paused and as one pulled back, leaving him gasping and staring at how quickly they'd listened.

He yanked his shirt back down, embarrassed by their sudden good behaviour.

"…don't fight," he said, although it seemed unnecessary now.

Neji bowed his head.

"I'm sorry," he said. "I shouldn't have done that."

"It's okay, I don't mind." Both boys looked at him sharply. "I mean… why are you here anyway? It's not just to talk or visit is it?"

Gaara smiled softly.

"We're here to help you." He shut his eyes. "I guess only you know how to save someone from the darkness."

"Darkness…?"

He looked at Neji who looked down and shut his eyes confirming it.

"I thought you were here about Sasuke?"

"That was the excuse," Gaara said. "I'm really here for you."

Naruto stiffened.

A hand grasped his gently. He looked at Neji then back to Gaara.

"Both--."

They nodded.

Neji leaned in wrapping his arms around his waist, and leaning his ear against his chest. Gaara was there seconds later, his lips pressing into Naruto's neck, and then resting his head against his shoulder.

He really was very lucky.

GAARA

The sun leaking through Uzumaki Naruto's curtains landed on the bare shoulder of a pale boy, making him stir as the heat slowly roused him.

He opened his eyes, blinking out the blond spikes of hair that were tickling his face. Slowly he pushed himself up, watching Naruto, who was sandwiched neatly between himself and Neji.

He rubbed a hand softly over Naruto's shoulder, smiling at the feel of his bare skin.

Neji shifted slightly and brought his face closer to Naruto's, his long hair spreading like silk around him and falling over his shoulder. He ran his leg smoothly against the length of Gaara's. He was surprised that Naruto hadn't woken up, as Neji's leg lay between the blonds thighs. Their legs all lay in a tangled mess, one movement from one echoing through the other's.

They were both so cute when they slept… so absent of worry. Well maybe for Naruto, he and Neji could now make that permanent.

He leaned forward and placed a soft kiss to his cheek.

Naruto sighed and smiled in his sleep.

"Gaara." He realized that Neji was watching him and smiled at the boys white gaze.

Neji reached up a hand and pulled Gaara down into a small kiss.

"With both of us here, he'll be okay," he said.

Gaara nodded and snuggled back into Naruto's back, nestling his face back into the blonds hair. Whatever Naruto needed… they would give it to him.

After all, he had saved them from the darkness… it was the least they could do.

-end

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